Johnny Herrera (footballer)

Johnny Cristián Herrera Muñoz (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈɟʝonjeˈreɾa], born 9 May 1981) is a Chilean former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper.

Johnny Herrera
Herrera with Universidad de Chile in 2019
Personal information
Full name Johnny Cristián Herrera Muñoz
Date of birth (1981-05-09) 9 May 1981 (age 43)
Place of birth Angol, Chile
Height 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in)[1]
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Youth career
1995–2000 Universidad de Chile
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1999–2005 Universidad de Chile 123 (0)
2006 Corinthians 9 (0)
2007–2008 Everton 60 (0)
2008–2010 Audax Italiano 91 (0)
2011–2019 Universidad de Chile 259 (4)
2020 Everton 22 (1)
Total 564 (5)
International career
2000 Chile Olympic 1 (0)
2001 Chile U20 2 (0)
2002–2018 Chile 24 (0)
Medal record
Representing  Chile
Third place Summer Olympics 2000
Winner Copa América 2015
Winner Copa América Centenario 2016
Runner-up FIFA Confederations Cup 2017
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

He has played the most part of his career at Universidad de Chile, winning for the club eight league titles, a Copa Sudamericana, three cup titles and a supercup in 2015.

He has represented Chilean football team at U20 level and Olympic level too, playing 21 official times for the adult team.

Herrera has been part of Chile's both Copa América titles in 2015 and 2016.

Club career

edit
 
Herrera playing for the "U" in 2018

Born in Angol, Herrera joined Universidad de Chile youth squad and was promoted to the first/adult team in 1999. Three years later, he became the first-choice keeper after being back-up for Sergio Vargas, who left The Lions after 10 years playing there. In 2004, Herrera won his first professional title after defeating Cobreloa as visitors in the Torneo Apertura final, where he scored the winning goal during the shootout, giving the club their twelfth League title.[2] During those years, Herrera collated his football career with his studies, area where he was dedicated to the Pedagogy in Physical Education, a career he studied at the University of the Americas (UDLA).[3][4][5]

In 2006, Herrera moved to Brazilian club Corinthians.[6] Following an unsuccessful spell at Brazil — where only played nine official games — he returned to Chile and signed for Everton from Vina del Mar in 2007. There, he helped the team to win the 2008 Torneo Apertura.[7][8] However, in June 2008, Herrera left Everton to sign for Audax Italiano.[9]

In 2011, Herrera returned to Universidad de Chile. That year he had a brilliant season, being a major figure in the club's first treble in its history after winning both league tournaments (Apertura and Clausura) and the Copa Sudamericana, under the guidance of coach Jorge Sampaoli.[10] Noteworthy, Herrera was even chosen as the goalkeeper of the season by Conmebol.[11] In 2012, he helped Universidad de Chile to win the Torneo Apertura, which meant the club's first ever league tri-championship, as well as the last reached during the Sampaoli era.[12]

On 20 May 2013, he featured in Universidad de Chile's 2–1 victory over Universidad Católica in the 2012–13 Copa Chile Final, the club's fourth cup in the contest. On 18 March 2014, Herrera scored his first official goal in a 1–0 Copa Libertadores group stage win over Peru's Real Garcilaso, through a penalty kick.[13] The same year he helped the club win the Torneo Apertura.[14] His first League goal came on 22 November during a University Derby against Católica in a 2–2 draw.[15] On 2 December, Herrera won his twelfth professional title after defeating in the Copa Chile Final to rivals Colo-Colo in the shootout, where he saved a penalty and scored the winning goal.[16]

On 13 February 2016, he scored his third official goal in a 2–1 defeat to Palestino, scoring from a penalty.[17]

International career

edit
 
Herrera with the Chile national team in 2017

Herrera has been representing the Chile national team since he was a youth player, participating in its U-20 and U-23 levels, the latter as one of the 23 players nominated to the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. His first call-up to the senior team was in 2002 in a game against Mexico; his last was in 2005. Years later, during the best moment of his career between 2011 and 2012 playing for Universidad de Chile, Herrera curiously did not receive nominations from Claudio Borghi, the incumbent coach. The press usually alluded to an internal dispute between them, but with Borghi's departure in December 2012, the situation changed in Herrera's favor.

After almost seven years of absence,[18] Herrera was reconsidered by Jorge Sampaoli, who finally took the helm. He received his first call up from Sampaoli for the friendly matches against Haiti and Senegal in January 2013,[19] where he stated that Herrera would play against Haiti, rotating the goal-keeping duties with Christopher Toselli.[20] Nevertheless, he played both games which were 2–1[21] and 3–0 wins respectively.[22]

On 5 March 2014, Herrera played against Germany in Stuttgart replacing first-choice Claudio Bravo who missed the match due to injury.[23] Chile lost 1–0 through a Mario Götze goal.[24]

Having been part of the entire qualification campaign since Sampaoli's taking, Herrera was named in Chile's list of 23 for the FIFA World Cup in Brazil. On 5 June, he played in a 2–0 friendly win over Northern Ireland, prior to the World Cup.[25]

He was part of the 2015 Copa América champion team as back-up keeper to Claudio Bravo as well as in the 2016 Centenario edition.

In 2017, he was nominated to the Confederations Cup and played two matches against Cameroon (a 2–0 victory) and Australia (a 1–1 draw). That cup, Chile was runner-up after being defeated 1–0 by Germany in the final.

Post retirement

edit

Since 2019, Herrera has performed sporadically as a football commentator in media such as Radio Cooperativa.[26] Following his retirement from football, in 2021 he definitely joined TNT Sports Chile to be a panelist for the TV program Todos Somos Técnicos (We Are All Coaches).[27]

Honours

edit

Club

edit

Universidad de Chile

Everton

International

edit

Chile

Individual

edit

See also

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ "Sitio Oficial Club Universidad de Chile". Archived from the original on 6 January 2017. Retrieved 22 September 2015.
  2. ^ "El día que Johnny Herrera le dio un campeonato a la U". Emol.com. 24 December 2011. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
  3. ^ "¿Quién dijo que no podían? De la cancha a la Universidad". Gol Master. 26 July 2020. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
  4. ^ "Johnny Herrera, arquero: 'He tratado de seguir el camino del samurái'". La Segunda. 13 March 2019. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
  5. ^ González Lucay, Carlos (23 June 2014). "Estos son los ilustrados de la Roja". La Tercera. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
  6. ^ "Corinthians contrató al arquero chileno Johnny Herrera". Mediotiempo. 11 January 2006. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
  7. ^ "Everton logra la hazaña y es campeón del fútbol chileno". Emol.com. 3 June 2008. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
  8. ^ "La conflictiva historia entre Nelson Acosta y Jhonny Herrera, que hoy se enfrentan por una copa". La Tercera. 29 December 2011. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
  9. ^ "Johnny Herrera se convirtió en el nuevo portero de Audax Italiano". La Tercera. 11 June 2008. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
  10. ^ "Johnny Herrera cumplirá 100 partidos con la "U" de Sampaoli en Japón". La Tercera. 31 January 2012. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
  11. ^ "Equipo ideal de América tiene a tres jugadores de la "U"". Emol.com. 31 December 2011. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
  12. ^ "La U. de Chile logró el primer tricampeonato de su historia". Emol.com. 12 December 2014. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
  13. ^ "Goalkeeper converts first ever penalty for match winner". Fox Soccer. Retrieved 31 July 2015.
  14. ^ "Johnny Herrera arrasa como el mejor portero del torneo". As.com. 12 December 2014. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
  15. ^ "Herrera y Toselli, protagonistas del duelo". Latercera.com. La Tercera. 22 November 2015. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
  16. ^ "Así fue la dramática definición a penales que consagró a la U en la Copa Chile". 24Horas.cl. Televisión Nacional de Chile. Retrieved 2 December 2015.
  17. ^ "Palestino venció con lo justo a la 'U' y alcanza el liderato del Torneo de Clausura". Radio Agricultura. 13 February 2016. Archived from the original on 8 July 2017. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
  18. ^ "Johnny Herrera vuelve a la Roja tras siete años y ácidos comentarios". Elgrafico.cl. El Gráfico Chile. Retrieved 30 September 2012.
  19. ^ "Johnny Herrera encabeza la primera nómina de Jorge Sampaoli en la Roja". Elgrafico.cl. El Gráfico Chile. 27 December 2012. Retrieved 31 May 2015.
  20. ^ "Toselli reemplazaría a Herrera ante Haití". T13.cl. Canal 13. 18 January 2013. Retrieved 30 May 2015.
  21. ^ "La "Roja" de Sampaoli gana 2-1 en su debut ante Senegal". Radio.uchile.cl. Radio Universidad de Chile. 16 January 2013. Retrieved 30 May 2015.
  22. ^ "Chile vence a Haití y consigue su segundo triunfo en la era Sampaoli". La Tercera. 19 January 2013. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 30 May 2015.
  23. ^ "Chile gegen DFB-Team ohne Torhüter Claudio Bravo - Sánchez fit". Eurosport (in German). 21 June 2016. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
  24. ^ "Germany 1-0 Chile: Gotze strike makes difference for Die Mannschaft". Goal.com. Goal. 5 March 2014. Retrieved 30 May 2015.
  25. ^ "World Cup: Chile warm up with friendly win over Northern Ireland". Skysports.com. Sky Sports. 5 June 2014. Retrieved 30 May 2015.
  26. ^ "Johnny Herrera debuta como comentarista en Cooperativa". OneFootball (in Spanish). 18 June 2019. Retrieved 27 July 2022.
  27. ^ "Johnny Herrera se suma al plantel de TNT Sports" (in Spanish). TNT Sports Chile. 7 April 2021. Retrieved 27 July 2022.
edit